Mocha Cupcakes with Mousse Filling

"Mocha Cupcakes with Mousse Filling"


INGREDIENTS

4 1/2 cups white cake mix
3 1/2 cups brewed double strength GEVALIA Kaffe Dark Roast, cooled
6 oz. PHILADELPHIA Original Cream Cheese, softened
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted, cooled
8 oz. heavy cream
6 oz. PHILADELPHIA Original Cream Cheese
8 oz. Brewed double strength GEVALIA Kaffe Dark Roast, cooled
1/2 cup JELL-O Vanilla Instant Pudding
2 cups prepared whipped topping
48 chocolate covered coffee beans
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. 1
    CUPCAKES: BEAT cake mix and coffee with mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed 20 sec. Stop mixer; scrape bowl and paddle. Beat 2 min. Use #24 scoop to portion 1.4 oz. batter into each of 48 (2-1/2-inch) baking cups (or into each of 24 baking cups for trial recipe). Bake in 300ºF-convection oven 13 to 15 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. (Note: Use the low-fan oven setting, or turn off the fan, to ensure evenly shaped cupcake tops.) Cool completely.
  2. 2
    MOUSSE Filling: Beat cream cheese with mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed 2 min., stopping occasionally to scrape bowl and paddle. Blend in chocolate. Gradually add cream, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with large tip; insert tip into top of each Cupcake to pipe about 1 Tbsp. Mousse Filling into center of cake.
  3. 3
    TOPPING: BEAT cream cheese with mixer fitted with whisk attachment on medium speed 2 min., stopping occasionally to scrape bowl. Gradually add coffee, beating until well blended. Add pudding mix; beat until blended. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with star tip; pipe about 1 Tbsp. Topping onto top of each cake, covering hole in center. Garnish with coffee beans and cocoa powder.

Notes

Cupcakes can be baked ahead of time. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or airtight container and freeze up to 1 month. Remove cakes from freezer as needed and place in cooler to thaw. Fill with prepared mousse, and continue as directed.

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Today’s Avon Deal of the Day

Today's deal is the Lounge to Leisure Top. This casual top features a v-line neck with an attached hood and rope ties. The material is made of cotton and polyester with waffle weaving. The regular brochure price is $19.99, but today and only today you can get this top for $9.99, that saves you $10 bucks! It comes in sizes small (6-8) and medium (10-12).

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Sweepstakes Alert!

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AboutOne Review

AboutOne is company which helps family to organize personal files, information, as well as update family members on births, news, etc. I love the fact that you can add information pertaining to schools you have attended and your memories/milestones, as well as add a picture from that school year. You can provide complete birth details including the meaning of the name, doctor, and full hospital address. Another of my favorite features was the health section. It enables you to add your family's insurance information, extended details about the doctor, medication information, immunizations and much more. AboutOne also provides a selection of printable items such as family newsletters, caregiver/health records, education history, volunteer activity sheets, and capital gains sheets. You can also keep track of homes you have owned/rented currently and previously. I adore the family friendly appeal of the website and how everything is neatly organized under different sections. Each family has their own "page" with their most important details and fun stuff like the birthstone, Chinese horoscope sign, birth flower, Zodiac sign, and fun facts about when they were born. It also shows name, nickname, birthdate, anniversaries, marital status, and your own personal memories and milestones, along with scanned documents. For the frugal parents, there are tips on ways to save you time and money! All in all, AboutOne is by far a winner in my eyes. It is a very appealing website that helps to manage and organize your family history and includes many fun and helpful extras. You do have to pay with affordable pricing such as five dollars per month or 30 dollars per year, it is absolutely worth it.

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FREEBIE ALERT FROM PATRÓN!!!

Good Afternoon and Happy Thanksgiving!!


Today, I have an extra special freebie for you!  Patrón is celebrating its birthday and wants to give Patrón enthusiasts a FREE mini bundt cake for TWO.


You can choose from Decadent Double Dark Chocolate with Patrón XO Cafe Tequila Coffee Liqueur 

                                                  OR

Elegant Orange Almond with Patrón Citrónge Extra Fine Orange Liqueur!

All you have to do is simply click the link here, sign-up, and enter your mailing details.  It's that simple. I chose the chocolate and can't wait to get it!


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Combination MMRV Vaccine Increases Risk of Febrile Seizures

Originally Posted By Dr. Mercola | July 24 2010 |

As I discussed in a previous article, the MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) and the varicella (chickenpox) vaccines are two of the vaccines that worry parents the most.

Now researchers have confirmed previous suspicions that the combination vaccine for these four childhood diseases, the MMRV, is even worse -- doubling your child's risk for febrile convulsions, compared to giving the two vaccines separately.

Among the toddlers who received their first dose of the MMRV vaccine, most of the fevers and seizures occurred 7 to 10 days after vaccination.

The researchers concluded that:

"Providers who recommend MMRV should communicate to parents that it increases the risk of fever and seizure over that already associated with measles-containing vaccines."

The New York Times claims that this common side effect "can be frightening" but is non-lethal. However, this statement does not necessarily tell the whole truth…

MMR Vaccine Linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease

As discussed at length in my interview with Dr. Andrew Wakefield earlier this year, his investigation led him to conclude that he could no longer support the use of the three-in-one MMR vaccine because it was not safe.

In fact, he had reservations about the safety of each of the individual vaccines as well, but the triple MMR stood out as particularly problematic.

"I read all the papers," he said, "and I was absolutely appalled with the quality of the safety studies of the single [measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines], and the combined MMR vaccine in particular."

In addition, Dr. Wakefield's own study linked the MMR vaccine to both Crohn's disease and autism. It remains one of the most controversial studies on the topic of vaccine safety today, despite the fact that 28 additional studies from around the world support his conclusions.

The interview is filled with back-story and behind the scenes information about how this vaccine research has been, and continues to be, suppressed. So if you missed it the first time, I highly recommend listening to it now.

MMR Vaccine Linked to Brain Inflammation

Whereas Dr. Wakefield's research shows the MMR vaccine can cause chronic inflammation in your bowels, other researchers have found links between the MMR and inflammation in other areas, such as your brain.

Dr. Harold Buttram has also written about the MMR vaccine as a potential link to autism, due to its potential to cause brain inflammation. He explains:

"First and perhaps foremost, MMR is incubated in chick embryo culture medium, which necessarily includes precursors of all the organ systems of the chick, including myelin basic protein.

Merck Pharmaceuticals, which produces MMR vaccine, claims that all traces of the chick embryo are removed before the vaccine is released for use. This may be true, but it is probably irrelevant as it does not take into account the process of mobile genetic elements, more commonly referred to as "jumping genes." Viruses being made up entirely of genetic material, they are highly susceptible to this process.

It has been shown that viruses are genetically changed by accepting genetic material from cell cultures.' The genetic imprint of the chick myelin basic protein, which is foreign to the human system because of its chick origin, may be programmed to induce antibodies against human myelin basic protein, once injected into the human system.

This in turn, potentially resulting in encephalitis."

So, febrile seizures may not be lethal, and may "clear up" on their own, but that's no guarantee that no harm has been done!

How Effective is the MMR Vaccine in Preventing Disease?

When trying to determine the risks versus benefits of any vaccine, it's helpful to determine whether or not a vaccine works in the first place.

In the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises children to receive their first dose of the MMR vaccine between 12 and 18 months, and their second between the ages of 4 and 6.

The MMR vaccine is supposed to provide immunity against three childhood diseases: measles, mumps and rubella. Yet in a recent mumps outbreak in New York, a whopping 77 percent of the more than 1,000 people who became ill had been vaccinated.

The question that begs to be asked then is: Does the MMR vaccine -- which is one of the most controversial shots on the CDC's schedule -- even work?

According to the CDC, the vaccine is somewhere between 76 to 95 percent effective. This is why a second dose is necessary, as up to 20 percent of individuals do not develop measles immunity after the first dose.

Still, in the case of New York, it would appear the vaccine was more like 77 percent INEFFECTIVE against mumps.

Likewise, when mumps infected more than 6,500 people in the United States in 2006, most of the cases occurred among college students who had received both doses of the MMR vaccine.

At that time, just about the only people who were truly immune to mumps were older Americans who had recovered from mumps as children, and therefore had received natural, lifelong immunity.

Make Educated Decisions

Mumps used to be a routine childhood disease. Many of you reading this likely had your turn, the virus ran its course while you stayed at home in bed, and you've been rewarded with lifelong immunity.

In most cases, mumps, like many of the childhood diseases we're now vaccinating our children against, is not a serious disease.

In rare cases, serious complications can develop from mumps, but you must weigh this risk against that of the vaccine. In addition, even if you get vaccinated, you may still get the mumps, which means you've accepted all the risks of the vaccine itself without receiving any health benefit whatsoever.

As always -- Make your decision an educated decision.

Remember that healthy dietary habits and a robust immune system are two important factors that influence your ability to successfully combat viral assaults like mumps. All of the information you need to boost your immune system and health is available, for free, on my Web site in a clear, concise format that is broken down for beginners, intermediate, and advanced.

I'm also now offering the full nutritional typing program, for free!

I encourage you to browse through this information today for guidelines on how to stay healthy, and how to protect your children from disease naturally. You can also read up on a healthier, less risky vaccine schedule for your child, as well as learn how to legally opt out of any vaccine you don't want.

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Story Time For Me Review and Giveaway!

Disclaimer: I was provided free books in order to complete this review. I was in no way monetarily compensated for my time and all opinions are my own.


 

When I was contacted by Story Time For Me, I was ecstatic! A little background about the company: Story Time For Me specializing in creating e-books for toddlers and early elementary school children. You can purchase books from a series and soon you will have the opportunity to purchase a personalized book with your child's name and picture! The books seem to really capture the child's attention with vivid pictures and character voices that make the books come to live. My favorite feature was the animations. The animations made the book come to life even more and my children really seemed to enjoy watching the characters move about and act out the story being narrated. There are currently 3 series to choose from; Ben the Mouse, Fern the Fox, and Flame the Dragon. Each series cater to a specific age group, which makes it a lot easier for the child to relate and stay focused.

Now for the GREAT NEWS! Each of my readers will have the opportunity to receive 2 free e-books from Story Time For Me! Simply follow the directions below and your children will be enjoying their books in no time!

  1. View the demo on how the product works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ___Bcx3to
  2. Follow this link to sign up and receive your free books!
    www.storytimeforme.com/2books

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8 Types of Toxic Friends - Excelle

8 Types of Toxic Friends - Excelle

Associated Content

January 12, 2009

A "toxic friend" is defined as a friend who contaminates our social life with destructive or negative behavior. The top 8 toxic friend profiles can be found below, along with ways to handle each one.



1. The Bubble-Burster This friend is always there with bad news to counter any good news you might have. Getting married? She happens to have the average national divorce rates memorized. Also known as Debbie Downer or The Wet Blanket. This friend is unnecessary in all situations, but if immediate disposal is not an option, try limiting conversations with her, especially where news-sharing is concerned. Keep your happy news to yourself when she's around and it will magically stay happy.



2. The One-Upper

This friend likes to fancy herself well-rounded or an overachiever, but she mostly lives to make others feel inferior. Mention an upcoming trip to Aspen, and you'll soon learn about her family cabin there, not to mention her countless medals and trophies for skiing. The best thing to do with people like this is ignore them. They crave approval, expecting people to envy them, and nothing will slow their nauseating self-congratulations like ambivalence. No matter how impressive their stories are, keep reactions minimal and they'll stop finding the thrill in overshadowing you.



3. The Employer

You might as well be on this friend's payroll for all the wingwoman duties you perform. You break up with guys for her, never outdress her, and even carry on obligatory conversations with a guy so she can chat up his hot friend. Playing second fiddle is never fun and can cause serious damage to your self-esteem. Relationships like these are draining and she'll just have to survive without you for a weekend. You have other friends, don't you? Call them. She'll likely be threatened, but this is because she is insecure. You don't need her permission.



4. The Predator

Never leave a boyfriend, boss, or even new friend alone with this social life stealer. The Predator just cannot help wanting what others have and cannot be trusted with the special people in your life. Introduce her to your new man and before you know it, she's sitting a little too close. Made a new friend? Keep them apart or she'll be punching their numbers into her phone. Don't even think about letting her meet your boss: she'll be strolling the halls of your office in no time...and hogging the boss's attention! If you have one of these bandits in your life, treat your social life like an expensive car in a bad neighborhood...locked up tight!



5. The Bodyguard

Whether its a guy hitting on you, a new friendship, or even an established relationship, this friend just doesn't think you're qualified to properly judge human character. She constantly feels the need to "protect" you from bad relationships, but ironically, she's the one you need protection from. Let her know that you can pick your own friendships and relationships. While you might appreciate that she has your back, remember that she's not just blocking bad relationships...you could be missing out on a lot!



6. The Charity Case

This friend is always down on her luck and can't seem to catch a break. Whenever you think you can't take another second of her and you're ready to hit the road, she needs another favor or shoulder to whine on and you're trapped until the incident blows over. Performing your own damage control will require fighting a little fire with fire. When she calls with a favor to ask, say you're down on your luck, too. It's highly unlikely that she'll try to repay the kindness you've shown her. The Charity Case is a taker, not a giver, and she'll likely fade away in search of a new knight in shining armor...and you'll be off the hook.



7. The Train Wreck

You know you should look away, but there is something about this dramatic friend that has you hooked. She's either in legal, financial, or social trouble (drinking/drug problems, spending addictions, and abusive relationships are the most common scenarios) and it's completely, 100% her fault. People offer their help and advice everyday but she doesn't want to hear it. With such a resistant attitude, her life is be mostly private and she kindly keeps you out of her problems, right? Wrong. In fact, you always seem to be bailing her out. Even though your opinions and perspectives are not welcome, she has no problem keeping you on the phone until 3a.m. while she complains about her problems. It might be hard, especially since you obviously care about this friend, but the intervention must stop. Once she falls on her ass, there will be nothing left for her to do but get up. That's when you can start helping again.



8. The Houdini

You haven't seen this friend in a little while...and the worst part is that you don't know why. You thought things were great, the bond was strong, and you were inseperable for a little while. Suddenly, she's not calling anymore and you're seeing her around with a different crowd. The problem is that you invested time and emotion in the relationship and her fairweather friendliness has left you feeling hurt and rejected. You're jealous of her new best friend and inevitably wonder what you didn't have to offer the relationship. Take comfort in this: that new best friend is going to be in your position in a few weeks and the Houdini will be sampling a new flavor. Commitment-phobes treat people like light bulbs because they are scared of getting rejected themselves. Meanwhile, you know how to treat a friend and will have plenty of them in your lifetime...now there's something to be jealous about!



Use this list wisely and refer to it everytime you begin to question a friendship. Remember, if none of your friends fit this criteria, but the relationship is still suffering, look over the list again. Could the toxic friend be you?

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Nivea® Body Happy Sensation®


Remember when you used to pillage on your mom or sister's dresser and play with her lotions and her Nivea@ Facial cleanser? Remember that fresh smell when you opened the jar of facial cream? Remember rubbing it everywhere it wasn't supposed to go? Don't act like it was just me, hahaha. Well, Nivea® has a new hit product! Nivea® Body Happy Sensation is a lotion that leaves your skin feeling fresh and beautiful. The scent is very light and it actually does smell like Orange Blossoms! So it's not one of those scents that leave that weird after-smells like some lotions do. After putting it on, my skin felt instantly rejuvenated and didn't leave a feeling like I forgot to wash some soap off my skin or make me itchy. It is definitely a winner in my book and it made my skin very happy!



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Recipe of the Day: Avocado, Spinach, and Pumpkin Seed with Lime Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette Ingredients


1/2 cup Lime Juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced jalapeño Chile, seeded and deveined
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3cup extra-virgin olive oil


Salad Ingredients


10 oz baby spinach
2 avocados, sliced thin
1/2 cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds


Directions


1. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients except oil in small bowl. Whisk in Oil.


2.  Toss spinach in large bowl with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat.


3.  Add avocados, pumpkin seeds and additional vinaigrette if needed; toss gently.

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Recipe of the Day: Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Ingredients:


8 slices of bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups sliced onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup cider vinegar


Directions


1.  Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Stir frequently and drain on paper towel.  


2.  Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat.  Cook onions, salt, and pepper covered for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  Uncover and continue to cook for 5 more minutes until onions are golden brown and tender.


3.  Cook beans in large pot of lightly salted water for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and cool under cold running water. Drain well.


4.  Before serving time heat beans onions, and water in large skillet over medium-high heat until heated thoroughly, stir frequently.  Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.


5.  Sprinkle bacon over beans. Serve.





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Sip on this!: A Southern Screw

This drink is 15% alcohol and should be served in a collins glass.  A very delicious and fruity drink.

For one drink you will need:

2 oz. Vodka
2 oz. Southern Comfort® Peach Liqueur
6 oz. Sunny Delight® Orange Juice
Ice

Mix in shaker, Pour over ice and serve!

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Recipe of the Day: Cajun Meatballs

Ingredients:


1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried Parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup peach preserves


Directions:


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a medium baking sheet.
2.  In large bowl, mix thoroughly the ground beef, hot pepper sauce, Cajun season, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, onion, bread crumbs, milk and egg.
3.  Form golf-sized balls with mixture and place on greased baking sheet.
4.  Bake for 30-40 minutes
5.  In a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce and peach preserves.
6.  Place meatballs in serving dish, cover with sauce mixture and toss to coat.


4 Servings.





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Cure Menstrual Cramps Without Popping Pills - Excelle

Cure Menstrual Cramps Without Popping Pills - Excelle

Molly Mann | Divine Caroline

September 01, 2010

Most women, during most months of the year, experience menstrual cramps. Some—you lucky lasses—have only mild to moderate pain during their periods. The rest of us, though, get waylaid by discomfort on a monthly basis, sometimes to the point where it interrupts our normal lives.

Sure, we can take over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, like Midol and Tylenol, and prescription therapies, like birth control pills, help as well, but if you’re not into popping pills, there are plenty of holistic remedies that can help you keep period-related pain to a minimum.

Why Is This Happening to Me?!

I ask myself this question every month, as I’m sure many women do. The answer: you’re female. Sorry.

According to the Mayo Clinic staff, women suffering from menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea,experience dull, throbbing, or tightening pain in their lower abdomen, which may radiate to their lower back and thighs as well. Some women also notice nausea and vomiting, loose stools, sweating, or dizziness.

This is because the uterus contracts during menstrual periods to help shed its lining. Hormonelike substances called prostaglandins trigger these contractions, and women whose bodies produce higher levels of prostaglandins tend to have more-severe cramps.

Severe period pain can also be a sign of more serious underlying conditions, however. While primary dysmenorrhea, the cramping characteristic of normal ovulatory menstrual cycles, involves no underlying gynecological problem, secondary dysmenorrhea, which tends to involve more-painful cramping, is associated with the following conditions:

• Endometriosis, in which the uterine lining, the endometrial layer, becomes implanted outside the uterus
• Uterine fibroids, noncancerous tumors that grow on the uterine walls
• Adenomyosis, in which the endometrial lining grows into the muscular walls of the uterus
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection of the female reproductive organs caused by sexually transmitted bacteria
• Cervical stenosis, a smaller-than-normal opening of the cervix that impedes menstrual flow, causing painful buildup within the uterus

Women who experience very painful menstrual cramps, or whose cramps have suddenly become more severe, should see their gynecologist to rule out any of these underlying problems.

Cramps are also associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the emotional and physical changes that 80 percent of women experience between ovulation and the onset of their period. Many women are unlucky enough to suffer from both PMS and period cramps, which means two weeks of discomfort every month. Fortunately, primary dysmenorrhea tends to lessen with age and often disappears once a woman has given birth, according to the Mayo Clinic staff.

Move It!

Probably the best medication-free way to ease pain from menstrual cramps is to exercise.

Gina Shaw, writing for WebMD, tells the story of Pam Kelly, who had been suffering from debilitating pain since she got her first period, in only third grade. “I was out of school a couple of days just about every month, the pain was so bad,” Shaw reports Kelly as saying. “The school nurse would give me codeine for the pain, and I was finally put on high-dose birth control pills [to help alleviate pain by maintaining more consistent hormone levels]. Those helped some.”

But when she started junior high school, Kelly found another remedy that was even more effective and required no pill popping: “I joined the basketball team and then the soccer team, and I found that the pain was becoming less and less,” she says. “By ninth grade, I didn’t even need the birth control pills anymore.”

Shaw also reports that as many as 90 percent of young women have severe period pain, making it the leading cause of school and work absences for this demographic. Exercise helps these women because it causes their brains to release internal opioids called beta-endorphins, which Kelly’s doctor, Gustavo Rossi, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia, calls “human morphine.” He explains, “It produces analgesia [pain relief] and helps to burn the prostaglandins … much faster.”

According to Shaw, the best kind of exercise for menstrual pain is aerobic, since an elevated heart rate is what triggers endorphin production. She cites Paula Castano, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, who seconds Shaw’s statement by urging women to get aerobic exercise at least three times a week, thirty minutes each time.

Sexual Healing

Of course, there’s another mode of exercise that’s very effective for relieving painful cramps and actually curtailing menstruation: sex. Though many cultures view sex while a woman has her period as unclean, it’s actually a pretty good idea.


Another perk of period sex: it’s possible, but really, really hard to get pregnant while you’re menstruating, because your body is done ovulating. (You can still get anSTD, though, so be careful.) Worried about making a mess? Just stay on your back, lying on a towel. Epigee.com, an online publication focused on women’s sexual health, reports that an orgasm causes the uterus to contract and use up excess prostaglandins. Women who have sex during their periods also notice that their flow gets heavier immediately afterward and then comes to an abrupt halt a day later. This is because all those contractions during orgasm help the uterus to shed its lining more quickly and put a period at the end of that period.

Pop the Right Pills

Reaching for painkillers during your period? You’d be better off going for some vitamins instead—research shows that zinc and calcium supplements are both effective remedies for menstrual misery.

Try some zinc, for example, as a natural non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). According to a study published inMedical Hypotheses, zinc inhibits the metabolism of prostaglandins, and one to three thirty-milligram doses, taken daily for one to four days prior to menstruation, prevent “essentially all menstrual cramping.” Because of these powerful anti-inflammatory properties, the study recommends an increase in the U.S. recommended daily allowance (RDA) for zinc, which “appears to be too low to optimize women’s health and prevent menstrual cramps.”

Calcium and manganese can also help to relieve menstrual pain. According to MotherNature.com, scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota have found that women whose diets are low in calcium and manganese—a trace mineral in nuts, tea, whole-grain cereals, and dried peas and beans—suffer more from cramps than those whose diets include high levels of these minerals.

Don’t Let Cramps Cramp Your Style

Being a woman doesn’t have to hurt—and it doesn’t have to mean swallowing an entire pharmacy every month. Just getting some aerobic exercise, getting the right nutrition, and even having sex serve as holistic remedies for monthly discomfort. Menstruation is a natural function, and there are natural ways to make it a little easier on all of us.

This article was originally published on DivineCaroline.com.



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COUPONS CODES AND DEALS! OH MY!

Domino's: Enjoy one FREE large pizza with purchase of any large pizza of equal or greater value when purchased online.  Just enter coupon code: EBFP at checkout








Papa John's: Any Large Pizza and Cheesesticks or Breadsticks only 
$15.00! Use Code: 92410.  You will save $6.00

On NFL game days, Order an XL Cheese Pizza and get all your favorite toppings FREE.  Use Code: 90210.  Thats a savings of $6.00!


Children's Place printable coupon:  15% OFF purchase IN STORE through September 30, 2010.

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COUPON ALERT!

Do you love NESTLÉ® Tollhouse®?  If you go to their website right now, you can get not one but THREE coupons for your favorite NESTLÉ® Tollhouse® products.  Click below to receive your free coupons!


Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of NESTLÉ® Tollhouse® Refrigerated Cookie Dough of any variety.










Save $.50 on any TWO (2) packages of  NESTLÉ® Tollhouse® Morsels of any variety.  








Save $.75 on any ONE (1) package of NESTLÉ® Tollhouse® Mini Morsel Toppers of any variety.

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Sip on this!: Flying Grasshopper


You will need: 


2 fl oz chocolate liqueur
2 fl oz creme de menthe
1 fl oz vanilla vodka
1 fl oz vodka
1/2 cup half and half cream
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup


Directions: 

  1. Pour first 5 ingredients into shaker over ice.
  2. Cover and shake until outside of shaker has frosted
  3. Strain into chilled martini glasses rimmed with chocolate syrup.
  4. Enjoy!
Makes 2 Martini's

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Recipe of the Day: White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

You will need:


1 cup Oreo® cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (10 oz.) package of frozen strawberries
2 teaspoons of white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half and half cream
3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:
1.  In medium bowl mix cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoon sugar, and melted butter.
2.  Press mixture into bottom of 9 inch springform pan.
3.  In saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoon sugar, cornstarch, and water.
4.  Bring to boil an continue to boil for another 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
5.  Strain sauce to remove seeds.
6.  Pre-heat oven to 325º.
7.  Melt white chocolate chips in metal bowl over simmering water with half and half, stir occasionally until smooth.
8.  In large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth, beat in eggs individually and then blend in vanilla and white chocolate.
9.  Pour half of the batter over the crust then spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the batter. Continue by pouring remaining batter into the pan and spooning another 3 teaspoons of raspberry sauce on top.
10.  Swirl batter with tip of knife or toothpick to create a marble effect.
11.  Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until filling is set.
12.  Cool and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours.
13.  Remove from pan and serve with remaining raspberry sauce.


16 servings.
412 Calories
28.3g of fat
101 mg Cholesterol







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Today's Recipe - Classic Chinese Pepper Steak


This recipe I pulled up from the Kikkoman website, because I love their sauces and marinades.  I found this recipe and had to try it, and when I did, WOW. Serve this delicious dish over a bed of jasmine rice.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb ground beef
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 medium zucchini or crook neck squash cut in half length-wise, then cut across until u have 1/4 inch thick slices
1 small chopped onion
1 can tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup rice uncooked
1/4 cup Kikkoman soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon dried crumbled basil leaves
1/2 cup water
Directions

  1. Crumble beef into 2-quart microwave safe baking dish, sprinkle with garlic powder and cover.
  2. Microwave on high for 3 minutes
  3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover
  4. Microwave on HIGH for 27 minutes, or until rice tender.
  5. Serve, makes 4 servings.



Try your own variations of this recipe and share!



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Everyday from 4-10 p.m. treat the kiddies to a free meal when you purchase an adult entrée.  Also stop by their Official Facebook Page and sign up to receive a free meal! 

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